They all have hidden attributes!

Upon hearing this, Makoto Takahashi's heart skipped a beat, and he began to suspect that Hanakawa Kaori had deliberately left the door ajar.

Afterwards, I don't know what Coach Shirakawa said, but Hanakawa Kaori went even further.

"This is my own choice, and I will never regret it!"

After saying this, the Hagiri sisters came out of the lounge, greeted Takahashi Makoto, and hurriedly fled.

They closed the door tightly, and Takahashi Makoto had no way of knowing what happened next.

In the quiet corridor, only the occasional sound of an announcement would come over the loudspeaker, calling out to staff or notifying contestants.

Makoto Takahashi looked worriedly at the watch on his wrist. A dozen minutes later, the door to the rest room was suddenly pulled open from the inside, and Hanakawa Kaori rammed her head into his arms.

The sweater felt damp, and the hands around her waist tightened silently.

Hanakawa Kaori hugged Takahashi Makoto tightly, sobbing as she said in a soft, trembling voice, "Brother, you're all I have left."

Even without seeing her expression, there's no way to doubt Hanakawa Kaori's intentions now.

Makoto Takahashi gently stroked her back without saying a word, his eyes filled with tenderness.

When the two returned to the rest room, the second game of the semifinals had already progressed to the third set.

Kashima Reiko sat alone on the sofa, watching the game on the TV screen. Takahashi Makoto looked around but couldn't find Nekoya Hina.

"Where did Haruna go?" he asked worriedly.

"I just finished showering 5 minutes ago and said I was going to go to the convenience store to buy a meat bun to perk myself up."

After Kashima Reiko finished speaking, Hanakawa Kaori sensibly raised her face and said, "Brother, go find Hina-nee. I'm going to take a shower and change my clothes. I'll be a good girl and wait for you to come back here."

Noticing that the atmosphere between the two had become closer, Kashima Reiko subtly stole glances at them.

The sense of distance has indeed disappeared.

Makoto Takahashi patted Hanakawa Kaori's head, turned and left the lounge, using his [Mind's Eye] to search for Nekoya Hina's scent in the gymnasium.

She didn't go to the convenience store at all; she was sitting alone in the VIP section of the audience.

When Makoto Takahashi went over, Hina Nekoya was staring blankly at the arena, her eyes lifeless, looking particularly lonely amidst the noisy atmosphere.

"Acheng, I want to eat beef rice when we get back to Tokyo." She let out a sigh that sounded like she had given up on everything.

Makoto Takahashi didn't sit down. He walked up to Hina Nekoya and extended his hands to her: "Do I need to be so polite with you?"

Perhaps unsure of what to say, Nekoya Hina remained silent for a while.

The silence was broken by the commentator's shouts and the roar of the audience.

Hina Nekoya rested her chin on her hands, trying to bluff her way out: "It's nothing. I'm just an ordinary person. It's impossible for me to be as successful as you guys. Failure is the norm."

"us?"

"You, Maya-kun, Tachimi-senpai... it seems like you can succeed at anything, and you've never lost to an ordinary person like me."

“Since you’re just an ordinary person, you should know that you can’t always be full of energy. When you feel weak and unable to move, just lie down and relax.” Takahashi Makoto looked at her with affection.

The distorted expression, suppressing pain, gradually crumbled before his eyes.

Bitterness and loneliness welled up from Hina Nekoya's heart, which had already exceeded its limits, along with undeniable failure and regret, but were drowned out by the voices from the audience.

"Waaah—"

To avoid being seen crying by Makoto Takahashi, Hina Nekoya threw herself into his arms and began to wail.

Amidst the commentary and whistle announcing the end of the match, and the applause congratulating the winner, only Makoto Takahashi heard the saddest sound of her life so far.

The sweater, soaked with tears, absorbed much of the regret that Hina Nekoya had expressed.

Feeling her body trying to stop trembling, Makoto Takahashi could only stroke her chestnut hair and hold Hina Nekoya's crying head tightly.

Chapter 181 You Are Still My Light

"Even though it's winter, Tokyo is still very refreshing."

Back in Tokyo, Hanakawa Kaori said she had something important to ask him and mysteriously pulled Kashima Reiko away, while Takahashi Makoto went to eat beef bowls with Nekoya Hina.

Nekoya Hina, who was walking ahead of everyone else, had her hands behind her back, looked up at the sky, and talked about trivial things.

"The sky is the color of soda water, Acheng."

A cool breeze, reminiscent of Otaru, blew through the bustling streets of Shinjuku.

"Hina." Makoto Takahashi watched her retreating figure, feeling a sensation similar to tinnitus.

The road ahead stretched out before her, and photos of Nekoya Hina from the past surfaced one by one in her mind, making her clearly aware of what was important.

She's using the weather to mask her feelings; if we don't investigate further now, she might not find another opportunity.

"The clouds were as fluffy as... large chunks of whipped cream."

Hina Nekoya racked her brains to come up with this metaphor, and it seems she doesn't have enough literary talent.

"Yangcai" (阳菜).

Makoto Takahashi called her name again, emphasizing his words. Hina Nekoya turned and tilted her head in response, her long, loose chestnut hair swaying gently.

"Ok?"

His smile was bright, cheerful, and sunny—not that it was fake, but it didn't have a sparkling quality.

Makoto Takahashi pointed to a fast food restaurant on the street and suggested, "It feels like it's been a long time since I've been here. Let's eat here."

"I didn't realize I was here. It's been a long time since I've been here."

Nekoya Hina looked up at the sign, glanced around at the surrounding streets, and a sense of nostalgia appeared in her eyes: "Then let's eat this."

The two entered the fast food restaurant one after the other and sat down at a table facing the window.

"Classic beef rice bowl, extra generous portion, plus a small portion of karaage fried chicken."

After Nekoya Hina placed her order, Takahashi Makoto asked, almost as if possessed, "Don't you have an appetite today?"

She turned her head, blinked, and raised her hand to tie her hair up with the hair tie on her wrist: "I'm a little afraid of gaining weight, I haven't had much training during the winter break."

"Classic beef rice bowl set meal." Makoto Takahashi ordered.

"Super Special Classic Beef Rice Bowl, Classic Beef Rice Set Meal, Small Portion of Karaage Fried Chicken".

After the clerk repeated the order, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. The two watched the cars drive by on the street, and flocks of sparrows landed on the branches of the roadside trees.

"Winter has arrived all of a sudden."

Nekoya Hina murmured, her expression rather helpless: "The last time we sat here together was to celebrate A-Cheng's victory in the archery tournament, I think."

More than half a year has passed since May. The people around her have been growing, but she has accomplished nothing. The loneliness of ordinariness torments her.

"It was the time we went to the arcade and it suddenly started raining," Makoto Takahashi corrected.

"Yes, that was the first time I realized that Tokyo had such an annoying rainy season."

Nekoya Hina raised her hand and scratched her head sheepishly, saying in a lighthearted tone, "I originally wanted to get into the national tournament so you would treat me to beef rice, but I ended up getting beaten up badly by Hanori."

After that, Makoto Takahashi joined the light music club, and the distance between the two began to gradually widen, Hina Nekoya thought to herself.

Has it gotten farther away? Or maybe not.

Now she has some doubts, but she has indeed missed a lot. She devoted herself to badminton but achieved nothing.

Makoto Takahashi, who once only had one friend, has achieved a level of excellence in every aspect that is beyond the reach of others.

Academic achievements, art, archery, band; even in love, his girlfriend is a chaebol heiress.

Thinking about this, Hina Nekoya couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.

For someone who has a crush, it's not a good thing if the person they like is too outstanding. If the distance is too great, the crush will turn into "idol worship".

Noticing the dejected air emanating from her, Makoto Takahashi glanced at her questioningly, swallowed a mouthful of water, and slowly asked, "Are you still upset about the tournament?"

No, no.

Hina Nekoya shook her head, sighed deeply, and then gave a carefree smile: "Actually, losing isn't so bad..."

The fast food restaurant's call interrupted her speech. Takahashi Makoto got up and went to the food counter, bringing back beef bowls for the two of them.

After he sat down, he continued, "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, the opponent was very strong. But that's how sports are; it's fair."

Nekoya Hina picked up her chopsticks, looked down at the beef rice bowl in front of her, and didn't start eating: "Originally, I wasn't qualified to participate, and, should I say I lack talent?"

"Talent?" Takahashi Makoto frowned in confusion.

"Not everyone can succeed. For ordinary people like me without any talent, failure is the norm," Hina Nekoya said, as if trying to comfort herself.

This was exactly the topic that Makoto Takahashi wanted to discuss with her.

Although I rely on the system and am not qualified to say many things, I cannot let Nekoya Hina continue to be depressed because of "lack of talent".

And we must not let this tarnish the once shining friendship.

He carefully considered his words, choosing each one thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Nekoya Hina ate her beef rice bowl, seemingly without much appetite.

"Actually, in my opinion, life in Tokyo is like a dream, and I might suddenly wake up one day."

When Makoto Takahashi suddenly said that, Hina Nekoya's hand holding the chopsticks froze. After swallowing the food in her mouth, she looked up and asked:

"Is it that feeling after achieving success and fame? I think I've heard of that before."

"No, it's probably because the gap is too big."

"The gap, is it something like a difference in status?" Nekoya Hina tilted her head and frowned, looking confused with a half-understanding expression.

Takahashi Makoto smiled at her, swallowed a mouthful of water to moisten his throat: "I don't think I've ever told you about my time in Yamanashi Prefecture."

“Never, ever.” Nekoya Hina nodded emphatically.

"Back then, I was a very withdrawn person. I didn't take the initiative to socialize. In a light novel, I would be a complete passerby, a kind of quiet, unnoticed youth."

Hearing Takahashi Makoto say this, Nekoya Hina nodded thoughtfully: "I see."

When the two first met, he certainly had this kind of personality.

"My only skill is archery, but I gave it up a long time before coming to Tokyo because of the problem of releasing arrows too quickly."

"It's hard to imagine," Hina Nekoya mumbled between bites of food.